1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved method of producing amines from alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and mixtures thereof. In one aspect, the invention relates to an ammonolytic method while in another aspect it relates to a catalyst useful therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The art is replete with catalysts useful for the ammonolysis of an alcohol, and particularly primary and secondary alcohols, to the corresponding amine. Shirley and Speranza, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,311, teach a catalyst comprising about 50 to 90 weight percent nickel, about 10 to 50 weight percent copper and about 0.5 to 5 weight percent of an oxide selected from the class consisting of chromium oxide, titanium oxide, thorium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and magnanese oxide. Moss, U.S. Pat. No. 3,152,998, teaches a catalyst characterized by having the composition calculated in mole percent on an oxide-free basis of 60 to 85 percent nickel, 14 to 37 percent copper and 1 to 5 percent chromium. Yeakey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,370, teaches a similar catalyst. Zech, U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,926, teaches a catalyst containing aluminum, nickel and chromium. Boettger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,933, teach a catalyst which (calculated on the metal content of the catalyst) contains 70 to 95 weight percent of a mixture of cobalt and nickel and 5 to 30 weight percent of copper, the weight ratio of cobalt:nickel being from 4:1 to 1:4. While these and other catalysts have demonstrated ammonolytic utility, catalysts demonstrating superior ammonolytic activity are desirable for the very pragmatic reasons of economy, efficiency, convenience, etc.